Broccoli-Cheddar Soup-Shavuot Linkup

Shavuot is one of the lesser Jewish known holidays in the diaspora. Falling on the 6th day of the Hebrew month of Nissan (in diaspora also on the 7th), it is the anniversary of when G-d gave the Torah to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai. Shavuot literally means weeks and commemorates the seven weeks that we count from Passover (Pesach) to Shavuot. The holiday is also known as Chag HaKatzir or the Festival of Reaping as this is the time of the wheat harvest in Israel. The holiday is also know as Yom Habikurim or the Holiday of the First Fruits.

On Shavuot there is a custom to eat dairy foods. So basically it is a  24 hour (48 hour in the Diaspora)cheesecake, pizza, lasagna, quiche, etc. party. There are various reasons for this custom with a prominent one being that as the Jews had just received the Torah they were still unfamiliar with the Jewish dietary laws (Kashrut) and ritual slaughter. They had to stick to dairy and remain temporary vegetarians until they were well versed in keeping Kosher.

I was in a dilemma before writing this blog. Most dairy dishes are high in cholesterol and not on the top of the healthy list. I thought of blogging about vegan options on Shavuot. I then uttered my mantra to myself:: "Life is about balance" and on Shavuot I will be balancing a lot of cheesy and creamy dishes on my plates! But seriously, I do serve cheese and cheesecake and dishes with cheese but I also serve lots of salads made from veggies and whole grains, etc. Also, we are allowed to enjoy life, especially on special occasions. If you basically lead a healthy lifestyle, some gazillion % cheese won't kill you on Shavuot.

So I decided to try something that I had never made. I have made my share of cheesecakes, quiches, lasagnas, etc. but I had never made broccoli soup with cheese and I must admit, that it is as decadently delicious as it sounds.

The Recipe

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

5 cups milk (I used 1 %)

1 cup 10 % fat cream (half and half to Americans)

3 heads fresh brocolli (around 2 3/4 pounds)

1 pinch nutmeg

2-3 cups grated cheddar cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Melt butter in a pot over medium heat and saute the onions for around 5 minutes until golden

Sprinkle flour on top and stir in, cooking for around 1 minute

Add rest of ingredients and bring to a boil.

Cook for 20-30 minutes until broccoli is tender

Add cheddar cheese to boiling soup and stir in until melted.

Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor.

Serve in regular bowls or bread bowls (if you want)

Enjoy!

An InLinkz Link-up

Whole Wheat Beer Bread: Chametzfest Link Up

I don't know about you, but I am feeling lazy.  I want a break from cooking. Pesach/Passover has worn me out. So many holiday and Shabbat meals, so many guests, so much fun (and work) and so much yummy food. To sum up the recent cooking and eating period, I will quote a loosely translated Hebrew expression: it was good and it's good that it's over (Zeh Haya Tov V'Tov Shehaya).

In the above spirit of cooking burnout inspired laziness, there was no way that I was baking Challah today so I opted for the easier option of baking beer bread.  This choice of bread baking is also the perfect selection for this week's Kosher Connection Link Up/Chametzfest. You can't get more Chametz than beer and bread and beer bread definitely trumps it all. 

The Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp demerara or other natural cane sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt 

12 ounces (300-330 ml) beer

Directions

Mix dry ingredients

Add beer and mix with wooden spoon until a dough is formed

Pour dough into greased loaf pan and bake 50-60 mins.


Enjoy!

An InLinkz Link-up

Easy Pesach Coconut Macaroons

I love cooking and baking. Could you tell? At the same time, there are some things that I just don't make. There are actually lots of things that I don't prepare.  I used to want to cook and bake everything but learned that with a family, a job and a life besides cooking, that some things are not worth the time, especially if you can buy them or have a friend or family member who can make it instead. Examples? Kreplach: after spending a ton of time in the kitchen only to have a 12 little sad things floating in my soup when I can just buy a package that tastes better and takes no time. Gnocci-same! Sushi, I cheat and make Sushi Salad and have children that make it sometimes but no matter what it tastes better from the Sushi place.  

Until this very moment in time, macaroons fell into that category. I remember, every year my mom buying the canned macaroons that were small, over-moist and sickly sweet and I never did care for them much. Then one year, I had a palate-opening experience. Gitel's a kosher bakery in Chicago in the 1980's, opened it's new premisis just before Pesach and they were selling these large, fluffy, delectable macaroons. I then discovered that I like macaroons. After that year, those airy and tasty macaroons disappeared into thin air, never to be seen again until I came to Israel in 1986, you couldn't find the sticky canned stuff any where but every bakery and supermarket was filled with these puffy, fluffy, delicious coconut delights.  

So, again...why should I make them? Even with the inflated and crazy prices, there is so much other work for Pesach, so who needs to make something that can be bought. The truth, I would have never thought of making them but ironically, now, in the middle of using up all my Hametz food, I found myself stuck with an opened bag of coconut to use up and decided to experiment.

Well, they came out delicious! Not as pretty as the store bought ones but light and not too sweet. I'm still not sure if I'll make them for Pesach but I will definitely consider it if time permits.

Ingredients

3 cups unsweetened, shredded coconut

4 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch salt

Directions

Heat oven to 180 C (350 F)

Whip up egg whites until peaks form.

 Gradually add sugar vanilla and salt and whip some more until well-blended

Mix coconut into egg white mixture

Form into balls and bake until lightly browned for 15-20 minutes

Makes 20-24 cookies

Quinoa-Walnut Patties for Pesach (Passover)

I start this post with a disclaimer. I am not a Rabbi nor a Halachic (Jewish Law) Authority of any sorts. I know there has been debate about whether quinoa is kitniyot (a legume) and whether Ashkenazi Jews can eat quinoa on Pesach. We do eat quinoa on Pesach which is very helpful in feeding my two vegetarians. This recipe is great all year round and is gluten free so I recommend that you continue reading no matter what your background.

I served these patties at lunch on Shabbat (Saturday) and they were enjoyed by the vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.

Directions

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed

2 cups boiling water

1 medium onion finely diced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

6 oz (approx 180 g) ground walnuts

salt

freshly ground pepper

2-4 eggs

non-stick spray or oil for greasing baking pan

Cook quinoa and cool. 

Heat oil and saute onions until carmelized, add the garlic for the last minute or two of cooking.

Mix all quinoa, onion-garlic sautee and the rest of the ingredients until well mixed. 

Form into approximately 12 patties and place on greased baking pan.

Bake at 225 C(450 F) or broil/grill in oven for approximately 15 mins and then flip and cook for approximately 5-10 mins on the second side.

Serve as is or with the sauce of your choice.

Can be frozen and can be reheated.

B'Teavon-Enjoy!

Spinach-Artichoke Kugel: a Pesach Friendly Recipe

I'm Back!

Hi all, sorry its been so long. No excuses really. I just got out of the blogging routine. I'm going to try to be "good" for now on, with anywhere from weekly to monthly (bare minimum) posts.  It is now that period that many Jews love hate go through this time of year where we try to use up the food in our house and at the same time are looking for ideas regarding what we should cook for Pesach. My next recipe kills those two birds with one stone and still remains vegetarian :).  I have been going through my freezer and  remembered that a couple of months ago that frozen artichoke bottoms were on sale. I also had some frozen spinach. I thought that I would make frozen artichoke bottoms stuffed with a spinach filling.  In the end I changed my mind and made this delicious kugel and the best thing is that it is gluten free and Kosher for Pesach.

Spinach-Artichoke Kugel

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

500g (approx. 1 lb) chopped frozen spinach

400 g (approx 14 oz.) frozen artichoke bottoms

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup ground walnuts/and/or ground sunflower seeds (sunflower seeds are considered legumes for Ashkenazim on Pesach)

Directions

Sautee onions in oil until soft and golden.

In the meantime, defrost spinach and drain well.  

Defrost artichoke bottoms.

Mix sauteed onions with the rest of the ingredients.

Bake in a greased rectangular pan at 180 C (350 F) for 45-50 mins or until solid and slightly browned.

Low-fat Vegetable Split Pea Soup: the ultimate comfort food

I hate to be repeating myself, but the need need to open this blog with a big thank you to the Kosher Connection monthly link up. For the past few months, I have been blogging once a month only for this link-up.  I hope to start getting back to at least once every two weeks and ideally to once or twice weekly but in the mean time THANK YOU Kosher Connection!  Briefly, for those who don't remember, not familiar, or new to this blog, Kosher Connection is a bunch of Kosher bloggers from around the world who once a month "link up" and post a recipe based on that month's theme.  This month the theme is comfort food.

Here in Israel we are now in the aftermath of the country's biggest snow and rain storm in 20 years.  13,000 homes are still without electricity.  Public transportation is just starting to go back to normal in Jerusalem (I hope!), schools in Jerusalem and other places are still closed. So what is the best comfort food in this situation? Obviously,soup! If we were dealing with the area of comfort drinks, then this column might be on Hot Cocoa but I'm also not 100 % sure how I would overcome the low fat, low sugar issue with that one...

Back to the soup.  Years ago, in the mid 1990's when not everybody had computers (yes, there was such a time), and all we had was a laptop and a dial-up connection, I joined an email group called the Jewish-Food mailing list which also gave birth to a site containing all the recipes collected from the group.  My soup recipe for you today is loosely based on a recipe posted by a woman named Linda Shapiro who submitted a recipe for vegetable split-pea soup from The Low-Fat Good Food Cookbook.

Here is the recipe:

Low-Fat Vegetable Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

1 pound (500g) dried split peas

2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) water

1-1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped or sliced carrots

1 large or two small sweet potatoes (or 3 med. regular potatoes) chopped into large chunks

2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

Rinse the peas and combine with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and let simmer for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Add two more cups of water, the vegetables, salt and pepper and other seasonings if desired.

Return to a boil and then reduce heat again and simmer another time, stirring every 15 minutes.

The soup is done when the peas are creamy, the vegetables are soft but hold their shape and the soup is thick but not stiff ( I find that this soup comes out thinner than most pea soups).

B'Teavon! Enjoy!

 

Thanksgivikkuh and Butternut Squash Donut Muffins: a Kosher Connection Linkup Post

All I can say is thank G-d for the Kosher Connection monthly link up! Lately, I've been so lazy about blogging but thanks to the link up, you can be sure that I will blog at least once a month.

The Kosher Connection link up is a bunch of Kosher bloggers from around the world who once a month rise to a recipe challenge based on a theme. This month's theme is recipes for the holiday of the century or as rumor has it, the holiday that we will have again in 70,000 years, a combo of Thanksgiving and Chanuka, otherwise known as Thanksgivikkuh!

To my children's chagrin, I am planning on celebrating this holiday with my family albeit on Friday night and not on the Thursday night of Thanksgiving.  My children, US passport holders, but born and raised in Israel and partially in South Africa, do not strongly embrace their American roots and tend to balk at many US customs and traditions.  On the other hand, they started a "custom" two years ago of decorating one of our potted trees from the balcony and calling it our Chanukka bush...which for me feels horrifically wrong but to them it is just good, clean fun.

But stubborn as I am, and always one for a "themed" meal,  we are going to "do" Thanksgivikkuh. It's next week and I'm still not sure what's on the menu but we will be having turkey legs and turkey breast for our main course and these pumpkin donut muffins as part of our dessert spread.

Butternut Squash Donut Muffins

Let me tell you the truth, these muffins have no resemblance to a donut. They are however delicious.  I have a feeling that Martha Stewart's recipe of this same name that is made with butter probably has a more donutty consistency but these are pure cakey muffins.  However, as I am trying to avoid fried foods to prevent high "bad" cholesterol, the name will stick.  At least, then I can say I had a Chanuka donut (muffin)! I will confess that I plan on buying a couple of the gourmet ones sold here in Israel from Roladin or one of the other Cafe chains...but to make them myself would be sacrilege, not to mention, TOO MUCH WORK!

This recipe is based on several that I saw on the internet but adjusted to be pareve (non-dairy) and more healthy.

 Ingredients for Muffins

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup demerara or golden pure cane sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp. baking power

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

pinch or two or salt

1 tsp vanilla 

1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/3 cups white flour

1 cup soy milk

1/3 cup butternut squash or pumpkin puree from roasted or boiled squash/pumpkin

Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

2 1/2-3 TBSP soy milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 F/220 C

Line muffin pan with paper cupcake liners

In a large mixing bowl beat oil and sugars

Add vanila and eggs one at at time

Add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

In a small bowl mix butternut puree and soy milk.

Add flour and puree mixture to oil sugar mixture a little at a time alternating until all of the ingredients are mixed well.  

Spoon into muffin pan.

Bake muffins for 1517 mins or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean

Cool muffins slightly

Mix glaze ingredients together and drizzle on to muffins and spreading evenly on to the muffin tops. The glaze will quickly harden.

Taste a muffin to "make sure it came out ok" and then forbid everybody else from eating the muffins until Thankgivikkuh!

Baby Green Salad with Roasted Pears, Corn and Pecorino (Plus October Kosher Connection Linkup)

Hi, remember me.  I know, it's been a while. I have some excuses but none too good.  It all started with the Jewish holidays that took up around three weeks in September.  Ironically, I was cooking more than ever but had no time to write about it much. After that lull, my get up and go, got up and went.  So I needed something to motivate me again. Then this Kosher Connection linkup came about.

 This month you could choose two of the three ingredients.  Fresh pears, canned corn and Mike and Ikes.  I kid you not!  Guess which one I left out, even though I must admit I have a weakness for jelly beans and all of their friends and relatives.

 I immediately thought that pear and corn would go great together in a salad, and the question was what should I add.  I did some internet research and then based on a gazillion ideas, I made up my own hybrid which came out delicious (if I may say so myself).

So here we go:

Baby Green Salad with Roasted Pears, Corn and Pecorino

Salad Ingredients

150 g Baby Greens (half of a big bag)

4 pears

Juice from half a lemon

2 teaspoons demerara sugar

2-3 Tablespoons grated Pecorino cheese

1 can of corn

Dressing

6 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Juice from half a lemon

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon Silan (date honey)

Instructions

Set oven to 450 F(225 C) and roast pears in lemon juice and sugar. 

Assemble all the salad ingredients in a bowl, putting first greens, then mixing in corn and pears and top with cheese.

Mix dressing ingredients and pour on salad and toss until all ingredients are evenly coated. 

Eat immediately!

Slicing the pears before roasting

Squeezing the lemon juice and mixing it with demerara sugar

What a delicious looking and delicious tasting salad!

Healthier Kugels: Sweet Potato-Pecan Casserole and Cauliflower and Leek Kugel

Ashkenazi Jews, especially those of Anglo (N. American, British, S. African and Australian) origin, often feel that it is not a holiday or Shabbat meal without the addition of kugels. For years already, I have cut down on my kugel production and consumption after coming to the realization that many of the recipes are just desserts disguised as side dishes and laden with sugar, margarine, flour, etc.

Instead I prepare a whole variety of delicious vegetable dishes, salads, grains, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. There is no question, however, that a kugel does impart that festive feeling to a meal.  No one said that kugels need to be unhealthy and dessert-like.I'd like to share with you two yummy recipes for healthier than average kugels:

Sweet Potato-Pecan Casserole

Ingredients

3 large or 4-5 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch (2 1/2 cm) chunks

1/3 cup honey

1 egg

1 t cinnamon

1/4 t ground nutmeg

1/8 t ground ginger (optional)

1/3 cup candied pecans (in Israel="Pecan Sini")

Directions

Heat Oven to 350 F (180 C)

Lightly grease square, rectangular, or oval baking pan 

In the meantime, boil sweet potato chunks in pot until soft around 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly and mash until smooth in large bowl.

Mix in the rest of the ingredients.  

Spread evenly in baking pan and top with pecans lined up in rows.

Bake 40-45 minutes until it begins to brown around the edges.

Enjoy!

Cauliflower and Leek Kugel

Ingredients

1 package of frozen cauliflower (or 2 fresh medium heads) 6 TBSP olive oil, divided 1 large or 2 medium coarsely chopped leeks or 2 coarsely chopped red or yellow onions 6 TBSP breadcrumbs or matza meal 3 large eggs 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, divided 1 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper 1/3 cup slivered almonds or pine nuts, toasted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C) Cook cauliflower until tender, put aside in bowl break into smaller pieces or mash slightly if desired Saute leeks in 3 TBSPs of oil until tender and just beginning to color, about 5 mins Add leeks to cauliflower Mix in bread crumbs, set aside. In a seperate bowl mix eggs, 1Tbsp parsley, 1Tbsp dill, salt and pepper and then mix into cauliflower. Pour mixture into 11 x 7 baking pan brushed with one TBSP olive oil, Mix almonds remaining parsley, dill and oil together and sprinkle evenly over kugel. Bake uncovered until set in center and beginning to brown on top, about 35 mins. Let stand 10 mins.

Get a piece before your family and guests finish it,nothing is ever left of this kugel at the end of the meal!

Rosh Hashanah Post #2--Simanim and Black-eyed Pea Soup

First of all, I owe you all an apology.  After my first Rosh Hashanah post, I promised to post more recipes and then I got busy with work, life and cooking for Rosh Hashanah that I had no time to write about cooking.  I still have a ton to do, but the Jewish guilt got to me and I decided that I better get one more post in before the holiday.

For those who don't know, Simanim or significant omens, the custom of eating special foods that symbolize something good or that the name of the food (in Aramaic, by the way) connotates something good that we wish for in the coming year. This custom and the list of foods is mentioned in the Talmud and the list is as following: (though not necessarily in this exact order)

I must add that there are different opinions on what food is to be used for each Siman, I am sharing what is widespread and what I biasedly do.

Kara-gourd or squash
Rubia-Black eyed peas
Gezer-carrots
Karti-leeks
Slika-chard (beet greens)
Tamari-dates
Rimon-pomegranate
Dag-fish
Rosh-sheep or fish head

We have a whole "taster's menu" of the simanim where we eat various dishes that I prepare from the symbolic foods and some we just eat by themselves. There is a special prayer known as a "Yehi Ratzon" that we say on each food.  Only after this "feast" and ceremony do we begin our main meal which consists of usual holiday fare such as roast, chicken, sides, etc. and we finish up with scrumptious homemade desserts.

As I write this, it is less than three hours before the holiday here in Israel so I apologize that I only have time to share one of my recipes with you.

Lubia or Rubya, AKA Black Eyed Pea Soup

This recipe is based on a recipe from "The Jewish Heritage Cookbook",by Marlena Spieler, another present from my sister in law Michelle.  I have been making this for Rosh Hashanah for around 10 years.

Rubia means plentiful in Aramaic.  While the prayer talks about us having many good deeds or virtues.  It is interesting that there is a custom in the southern United States to eat black eyed peas on the secular New Year and this custom is thought to bring prosperity. One of the theories to the origin of this custom is that Sefardi Jews immigrated to Georgia in 1730 and the custom then spread to the non-Jews of the area.

Ingredients

2 cups black eyed peas

2 T olive oil

2 large onions chopped

4 garlic cloves

spicy red pepper flakes (I give a couple of shakes)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1 9 oz (250g) canned diced tomatoes

2 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped

juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

Instructions

Put the beans in a pan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil, then cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and leave to stand for 2 hours. Drain the beans, return to the pan, cover with fresh cold water, then simmer for 35-40 minutes or until the beans are tender.  Drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for five minutes or until the onion is soft. Stir in the cumin turmeric, tomatoes, water, coriander and the peans and simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Stir in the lemon juice right before serving. 

Can be served hot or cold.

Classic Potato Salad

I know what you are thinking.  Potatoes?! Even on a pseudo-healthy blog, this seems unacceptable.  I have stressed the whole "eating to lower blood sugar" thing, so where do potatoes come in? Also, what does potato salad have to do with Rosh Hashanah?  The answer to the second question is--nothing.  The answer to the first question is that cold potatoes have actually been found to lower blood sugar as they are a "resistant starch" which is basically a carb that resists digestion and is passed through to the large intestine where it acts as dietary fiber. Consumption of resistant starch has been proven to assist in blood sugar management.

So here I am thinking that potatoes are evil, which they may be when they are hot and they definitely are when they are fried but when they are cold, they are good news!  And you know what's even better? Vinegar, a crucial ingredient in most cold potato salads has been found to help halt the sudden rise or spike of blood sugar that occurs after eating a meal. Not sure how to defend the mayonaisse part of the salad but I use "light" mayonaisse so it's not that bad.  

I actually can probably count on one hand the number of times I made potato salad over the last seven years but now that I've made my "discovery" maybe I will make it more and maybe I'll even make it for Rosh Hashanah (except that my kids don't like it)

Classic Potato Salad

Ingredients

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

8 pickles (preferably in vinegar not brine, but brine works, too)

1 medium white or red onion or 3 green onions or a bunch of chives

3 heaped Tablespoons light mayonaisse

1 Tablespoon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar or to taste

1 teaspoon salt or to taste.

Instructions

Boil potatoes until soft but firm and chop into 1-inch (2 1/2 centimeter) cubes

Chop pickles and onions finely and add to potatoes

Add the rest of the ingredients

Serve as part of a salad buffet or as a side.

Enjoy!

Rosh Hashana Post #1: Apple Cake and Date Honey Cookies

Rosh Hashanah is around the corner and it's a three day holiday.  For the unitiated, Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and it is three days this year because it falls on Thursday and Friday and then Saturday is Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath).  One of my daughters once called it a four day holiday because the Jewish days actually start in the evening so the holiday begins on Wednesday night.  The holiday entails lots of beautiful prayers and seven festive meals! Wednesday supper, Thursday lunch, Thursday supper, Friday lunch, Friday supper, Saturday lunch and Saturday supper (aka Seudah Shlishit--the third Sabbath meal).  This is a lot of food.  We don't really do the Seudah Shlishit so much... but we are already organized.  Two meals with guests, two meals invited out and two meals on our own as a family.

People stress out over all this cooking and eating which includes all sorts of special foods which I will try to cover in my coming posts.  One of the central foods that we eat is apple dipped in honey, symbolizing our wish for a sweet new year. Many people prepare or buy honey cakes and apple cakes.  For years, I searched for the ultimate honey cake recipe and still have not found it or maybe I have just found out that I don't like honey cake so much.  I do however love my apple cake recipe which I will share with you in this post.

About honey cookies, when I first came to Israel and was on Kibbutz Ma'aleh Gilboa I was offered cookies. I turned and I saw these fat round sticky things.  I asked what they were and was told "Duvshaniot" (honey cookies).  I had never heard of them but took one bite and was addicted. I never thought of making these cookies until last year before Pesach (Passover) when I was looking for recipes to bake away all my flour which is forbidden on that holiday. I had too much Rye flour so I opened up my cookbook "The Healthy Kitchen" (in Hebrew "Hamitbach Habari shel Al Hashulchan") and found an amazing recipe for date honey duvshaniot made with rye flour which turned out to be surprisingly delicious.

Now on to the recipes!

Family Apple Cake

This recipe is an adaptation from the (out of print) cookbook, "The Pleasures of your Food Processor" by Norene Giletz.  It does contains margarine.  For the record when it comes to baking I do not usually "follow the rules" of healthy eating.  I do substitute at least half whole-wheat flour in most of my baking recipes, however.

For Illustrative Purposes Only

Ingredients for Filling:

8 or 9 apples, peeled cored and sliced into eighths ( I use my apple corer and slicer)

1/2 c. dark brown sugar, packed

1 T cinnamon

2 T. flour

Ingredients for Batter

1 cup margarine 

4 eggs

1 3/4 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

1/2 c. apple juice or whiskey

2 3/4 c. flour

4 t. baking powder

Instructions

Mix filling incredients and set aside

Beat margarine eggs, sugar and vanilla with mixer for two minutes. 

Add juice/whiskey and beat for a few seconds. 

Add flour and beat in until flour disappears.

Spread 1/3 of batter in a greased and floured 10 inch tube pan.  

Arrange half of the apple filing over batter.  Do not allow filling to touch sides of pan.  Repeat until all ingredients are used, ending with batter.

Bake at 350 F (180 C) for about 70 to 75 minutes or until cake tests done.  Cool for 20 mins.  You can dust with icing suar when cool.

Date Honey "Duvshaniot" Made with Rye Flour

There are two types of Silan/Date honey-natural, made only from dates and one with water and sugar added.  Try to buy the natural one. In Israel, you can buy the natural one at the regular supermarkets or at health food stores.  I'm assuming that outside of Israel, that you can probably find it at kosher stores, middle eastern food stores and health food stores.  

Ingredients

2 c. whole rye flour

1 heaped t. baking powder

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. ground cloves

1 t. ground ginger

1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup Silan/date honey 

1 egg

Instructions

Heat oven to 175 C (approximately 350 F)

Mix flour, baking powder and spices

Add sugar oil, silan and egg and beat in mixer into a sticky dough

Form balls around 4 cm in diameter and place on cookie sheet lined with baking paper, flatten a bit

Bake 15-20 minutes until the cookies crack a bit but are still slightly soft.  

Cool completely and transfer to a sealed container.  

Cookies can keep up to a week.

 

Blueberry,Spinach and Mango Smoothie

I have been wanting to make a green smoothie for a long, long time.  I just never got around to it.  Today in the middle of my cooking and my Shabbat preparations, I decided that the time had come.  I was hungry and the spinach was starting to look a little sad.  So I put all the ingredients in a blender and voila...nothing!  The blender was broken, again!  It's still on warranty and I can't tell you how many times that we've brought it in. Ironically, I never use it...my kids do.  But never fear, stick blender was here, and I managed to make a delicious smoothie and splatter purple all over my kitchen cupboards, counters, appliances, etc.  My two vegetarians tried it but were not so keen on drinking spinach.  So I finished up two large glasses on my own...yum!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

2 cups baby spinach

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 mango

1 cup water

honey, to taste ( I used two teaspoons)

Instructions

Blend all ingredients together and pour into tall glasses.

Makes two very full glasses

Some of the goodies

Getting Back on the Wagon and a Basic Quinoa Recipe

Ok, I admit it, I've eaten a lot of "garbage" this week.  Sunday night had a family get together for dinner at a dairy restaurant.  Although we did start with salad and I ate quite a bit, we proceeded to soup (not too bad) and then creamy pastas complete with ice cream for dessert. Monday I took my daughter and some friends to the gourmet ice cream place in Machane Yehuda in Jerusalem and ate a lot of delicious ice cream. Tuesday, I behaved and yesterday (Wednesday) I ate two, albeit small, eclairs at a work function and then came home and ate the last two pieces of Pizza Hut pizza.  My first pizza in three months!  In short, forgive me father for I have sinned.  Have I mentioned that I haven't done any exercise since my Zumba class on Sat. night.  How many "Hail Moseses" must I say? (I'm Jewish).

It is so easy to "fall off the wagon". Although I am not soooo strict with my diet...three day food orgies of this sort are not acceptable.  I can just feel my blood glucose catapulting.

I'm trying to get my husband on the wagon, his LDL is quite high, 171, to be exact.  Not an easy task.  His doctor is giving him 6 months to get the cholesterol down or she is putting him on meds.  I think I will send him to my dietician and get him on track...

Anyway, on to the recipe!

Quinoa Pilaff

Quinoa is a great pseudograin for those watching their carb intake.  Quinoa is actually a seed and not a grain.  It is a complete protein, rich in fiber, iron, magnesium, manganese, ribloflavin and lysine. See this link to learn more about quinoa's benefits.

I think that this was my first quinoa recipe or maybe my first quinoa recipe after learning how to cook plain quinoa.  I got it from Suite 101. com and the author of the recipe is Stephanie Gallagher and have minorly adapted the recipe. It's a great warm side dish and also kosher for Passover (without the peas) if you hold that Quinoa is not kitniyot or if you are Sefardi (and then you can have the peas, too). 

Ingredients

2 T olive oil

1 med onion, chopped finely

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup finely diced carrots

1 medium red pepper chopped

2 cups quinoa, rinsed thoroughly through a fine sieve

4 cups water

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a a pot over medium high heat. 

Add onion and cook until soft, 3 minutes.

Add garlic, carrots and red pepper, cooking until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add quinoa and water and bring to a boil over high heat and then simmer 20 minutes or until water is absorbed.  Stir in frozen peas and salt and pepper.

B'Teavon! Enjoy!

Lubavitch Miso Soup

My first cookbook, which was given to me by my mom, Shelly Schwartz, was the original Spice and Spirt Cookbook published by Lubavitch (a Chassidic Orthodox sect of Judaism).  It was a blue hardcover cookbook with a yellow paper jacket, published circa 1977.  Mine is long without the jacket, and the hardcover has fallen off, but I still use it.

In the 1990's they came out with a newer addition with a purple hardcover and no jacket and even more recipes--800+. This edition was given to me and my husband as a thank you present from Rabbi Alex Carlebach and his wife Tzipora from Chabad (Lubavitch) Johannesburg when they went away for a few days. My husband took over as substitute Rabbi at his congregation and I ran Tzipora's nursery school.   

This cookbook is even more comprehensive and the recipes are very user friendly and not difficult.You really don't need to be Jewish to use this cookbook, just be aware that you won't find any recipes mixing milk and meat, using shellfish or containing pig meat.  Besides the recipes, there are great expanations about Judaism, it's laws and its customs. Take heed, however that it is a bit strict and I recommend not to use it as a book of Jewish law but rather to consult with your local Rabbi (if you are Jewish and observant and that's the kind of thing you do).

I must have 50-60 cookbooks but these days I often go straight to the internet when I'm thinking of trying a new recipe.  When I decided to make something with miso, I thought to check the Spice and Spirit first, and lo and behold I found the most amazing and delicious soup recipe.  That is my opinion and the opinion held by my two vegetarian daughters and my 10 year old.  The rest of the family liked it but didn't seem as thrilled. And of course my pickiest daughter did not try it at all. But as this is my blog and I loved it, I have chosen to share it with you.

Regarding miso's health benefits, see this link.

Here is my adaptation of the recipe:

Miso Soup

Ingredients

3 T shiro (or any light) miso

1/2 cup water

3 T oil

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 cup celery , thinly sliced

1/2 cup onion thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/4 cup minced parsley

6 cups water

3 T tamari or regular soy sauce

1/2 pound (500 g) tofu cut into chunks

Instructions

In a small bowl mix miso in 1/2 cup water and set aside.

In a pot, heat oil on low flame.

Add prepared vegetables and saute for 10 minutes.

Add 6 cups of water.

Bring to a boil and simmer until vegetables are tender, appoximately 30 minutes.

Add miso mixture and tamari/soy sauce and stir thorougly.  

Do not boil miso, it will lose many of it's benefits.

Add tofu chunks right before serving.

Enjoy! 

Kale: Super Food and Super Recipe!

As I have noted in the past, I define myself as a foodie.  I am obsessed with most things food. I read cookbooks and internet cooking sites and blogs in my free time and when I daydream I am often planning menus.  Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of other things in my life, work (non-food related), family, friends, Zumba, etc. but food is definitely up there!

Therefore, the way I have approached this whole business of controlling my sugar and LDL (bad cholesterol) through diet (and exercise) as been more about what I can and should eat and finding new and exciting recipes using various foods.  Rather than what I can't and shouldn't eat too often.

Right now in the middle of blogging the phone rang and it was my doctor and I got all nervous as I knew she was calling with my blood test results.  Of course, I thought the worst, that my numbers had probably stayed the same or gotten worse and that I was going to have to stop blogging due to my failure.  But... IT WAS GOOD NEWS! My sugar is down from 104 to 97 (under 100 is normal!). My LDL is down from 140 to 107 and my total cholesterol is down from 194 to 153!  On one hand, I feel like I deserve to celebrate with a creme brulee cheesecake but on the other hand I guess I should "keep up the good work!" and I do enjoy healthy food.  But, for the record, I still eat cheesecake and other yummies every once and a while. But usually only on the weekends or at special events and occassions and the amounts are "within reason".

Anyway, I feel like it's not fair to digress, while you sit and wait with bated breath for the kale recipe.  I would like however to tell you just a bit about kale.  Kale is high in phytonutrients which prevent cancer, and is also a great source of B vitamins, folic acid and manganese, which helps regulate blood sugar and is essential for proper immune system function. To read about other health benefits of kale, read this article by Alison Lewis on the MindBodyGreen website.

And now (drumroll please!) for the recipe

Kale with Tomatoes, Onions, and Garlic

This recipe is based on a recipe posted this week to a facebook group I'm in called "What's for dinner?".  It definitely falls under the category of nutricious and delicious!  This is a great and different vegetable side dish to a meat,poultry, fish, or vegetarian/vegan main course.  Serve with the whole grain of your choice and your meal is complete!

Ingredients

1 package of fresh kale, washed and chopped, stalks removed

1 large onion, chopped coarsely

2-3 large cloves of garlic, chopped finely

3 med-large tomatoes

salt, pepper and cayenne or chili pepper to taste

a little water

Instructions

Sautee onion and garlic in a large pot or pan until onion is soft and translucent

Add chopped tomatoes and sautee for a minute or two more

Add kale, seasoning and water and cover

Simmer and continue cooking while covered, stirring quite often until kale softens but still has a little bit of "bite".

Enjoy!  We did.

Vegan Chili: A Low Fat Recipe for the Nine Days

For those of you are not in the know.  The "Nine Days" are the nine days leading up and including the 9th of the Jewish Month of Av, Tisha B"Av which is considered the saddest day of the year for the Jewish people.  It is the day that the both Jewish temples in Jerusalem were destroyed, the first in 586 BCE and the second in 70 CE.

 For Orthodox Ashkenazim, Jews of European descent, the three weeks before Tisha B'av are considered a period of mourning and during this time do not  celebrate weddings and other major occasions, listen to live music, shave or have a haircut. The last nine days of this period are even stricter for the Orthodox Ashkenazim who in addition to the above restrictions will not eat meat and drink wine (except on the Sabbath) bathe in hot water, swim for pleasure, or do laundry.

I gave you this brief background but would like to concentrate on the not eating meat thing.  There are those who "freak out" about what to make for meals during this period.  There are those who go crazy with making cheesy, creamy dairy suppers during this period.  But not eating meat does not have to mean eating high fat foods like mac and cheese, fettucine alfredo or creamy quiche.  As a mother of two vegetarians who are practically vegan, I make a lot of low fat, parve (nondairy) dishes all year long which are both nourishing and filling.

Last night I made a variation on one my vegetarian/vegan chili recipes based on what I had in the house and it came out delicious.  Here you go!

Vegan Chili with Sweet Potatoes and Swiss Chard

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced

1-2 cups sweet potatoes cut into 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) pieces

cayenne pepper or hot paprika (optional--If you are using the Israeli beans as noted below then not necessary  )

2 teaspoons cumin

salt and pepper, to taste

1-2 cans black beans or red kidney beans (I used the Israeli "chili" beans which are kidney beans spiced for chili)

1 can sweet corn

2 1/2 cups water

1 can of diced tomatoes in juice

3 cups of coarsley chopped Swiss chard leaves

Instructions

Heat oil in large pot, add onions and garlic and saute until tender and golden, about 9 mins.

Add rest of the ingredients except chard and brign to a boil.

Simmer until sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Stir in chard, and simmer until chard is tender about 4 more minutes.

Adjust seasoning, ladel into bowls and serve.

Note: Can be served as is or on top of grains or whole-grain pasta for a more filling option

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A Lentil Sauce Recipe and Tales of a Dumb Teenage Vegetarian

I was a teenage vegetarian.  I was a dumb teenage vegetarian.  I thought that being a vegetarian meant not eating meat. I stopped eating all meat when I was 14 because I mainly ate red meat.  My "logic" was that since I was told that red meat was not healthy I would give up all meat.  I didn't give up candy, chocolate, cookies, cakes, fries, pizza, etc.  But I thought that I was being healthy because I was vegetarian.  Must I repeat, I was a dumb teenage vegetarian!

 When my friend Sari's mom asked me if I knew what I was doing, I had no idea what she meant.  "Of course", said I, the dumb teenage vegetarian.  To myself I thought:  "Vegetarians don't eat meat and I'm not eating meat, what's to know?" At age 18, I ended up in the emergency room and was diagnosed as anemic but I still didn't learn. A half a year later, I passed out on the Kibbutz kitchen floor but still didn't learn.

A few months later, my parents came to visit me on the Kibbutz in Israel and took me out to a steak restaurant in Jerusalem. My dad then teased me and said: "You are welcome to eat side dishes but wouldn't you prefer a nice juicy steak?"  I think I surprised him when I answered:  "Yes".  Bye bye dumb teenage vegetarian.

I am now a mother to two teenage vegetarians, one is practically vegan.  I am no longer a dumb teenage vegetarian but am now a smart mother of vegetarians.  I love vegetarian and vegan cooking.  I cook lots of grains and legumes, tofu and vegetables, nuts and seeds, blah, blah, blah.  Seriously, I do.  I fiind that many people do not understand that a meal does not have to mean a slab of something dead on a plate next to a carb and a veggie.  They puzzledly ask me, what I make for my vegetarians.  People can't comprehend that dishes comprised of legumes and grains or tofu and vegetables can replace a steak and a potato and a brocolli stalk.

So for those of you who suffer from vegetarian cookingaphobia here is an easy basic recipe to help start your repertoire for your vegetarian guests or your teenage children who may one day turn to you and say: "Mom/Dad, I want to be a vegetarian". Help them be smart vegetarians! Or clever vegetarians if you are from Britain, Australia, or South Africa!

Versatile Lentil Sauce

This sauce can be served with pasta, rice, or other grains or even top a baked potato.  It is also delicious on its own!  It is so easy to make and is a hit with many non-vegetarians as well!

Ingredients

1 cup red lentils

1 can of chopped tomatoes

2 cups water

1 chopped onion

pepper

salt

basil

Instructions

Throw all of the ingredients into a pot. 

Cover and bring to a boil. 

Boil for 20-30 minutes and then serve over grain or pasta.

Servings:  4

A Couple of Salads

We almost always start our Shabbat (Saturday) lunch with different salads.  Of course, that's after the kiddush wine and the Challah and what Israelis call salads (salatim) which are really spreads:  Chummous, eggplant, matbucha (red pepper spread), etc.  I used to make a large variety and some were more starchy and some were more vegetable-y.  Today I tend to serve 1-3 appetizer salads that are usually vegetable or legume based, and then I save the carby salads for side dishes.

It's a great way to get some veggies and some other goodies into your system and a lighter way to "do" appetizers as opposed to egg rolls, burekas and other heavy greasy things we sometimes eat at the beginning of a meal.

So today I am going to share three recipes with you:  carrot and cilantro salad, cabbage salad with goodies, and my friend Sima Navon's fava bean salad from her blog Just Add Flax.

Carrot and Cilantro Salad

This is my 10 year old daughter's favorite salad!

Ingredients

4 medium carrots, peeled into ribbons

1 bunch of fresh cilantro (coriander, cusbara), roughly chopped

juice of 1 lemon, freshly squeezed

1 tablespoon canola oil

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Mix first four ingredients together and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cabbage Salad with Goodies

The secret to this salad is the dressing!  You can vary the amounts of cabbage and the types of goodies but whatever you do, don't change the dressing!

Salad Ingredients

3 cups of grated cabbage (green or a mixture of green and purple)

Nuts (raw, toasted and unsalted, carmelized or candied)

Pumpkin and sunflower seeds (raw or toasted and unsalted)

Dried cranberries (you can try other dried fruit, too)

Dressing Ingredients

1/8 cup canola oil

1/4 cup sugar (you can use a bit less)

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon peanut butter

salt and black pepper to taste

Instuctions

Put all the salad ingredients in a bowl and mix well

Mix dressing ingredients until peanut butter is more or less dissolved

Pour dressing on salad and mix in well

Serve immediately

Note:  it is possible to get the "naked" salad and dressing ready ahead of time and store in fridge and then mix right before serving.

Fava Bean Salad

Follow this link to this great recipe.

Happy salad eating!

Delicious Lentil and Vegetable Soup

Ok, so two days ago it was my husband's Hebrew birthday (according to the Jewish calendar) and we went out to celebrate.  We had a gift certificate for various restaurants in Israel and we chose an Italian dairy restaurant owned by Frenchies.  Cheating on my low-cholesterol and low sugar diet is probably an understatement here, when describing our meal.  After the antipasti, we proceeded to have butter-slathed cream-drowned pasta dishes that in my eyes were good  (I actually never was into creamy high fat stuff) but in my husbands eyes were amazing. The piece de resistance was dessert--the most delicious creme brulee! Afterwards I saw that this dessert is referred to on the internet as a mini cholesterol bomb.  But you know, some things are just worh it once in a while and this is one of those things!  Did I mention that the owners are French?  So creme brulee is where they exceed and succeed!

 You will not find a recipe for creme brulee here today. Firstly, I am trying to stay healthy and trying to pass on healthy recipes and tips, I also have never made one. At the same time, I am thinking of making a creme brulee cheesecake recipe for my husbands regular birthday which is coming up in a couple of weeks and I may share it if it succeeds.  I am not a hypocrite, just a human being and this blog reflects that.

The Recipe

So when my vegetarian twins went to England last year to stay by my in-laws, my mother in law wanted a list of foods that they would eat.  Amongst other things, I told her that they eat a lot of lentils.  So my MIL found this great vegetable lentil soup which she gave to me, I basically stuck to the recipe with a few minor changes.  It is absolutely delicious and packed with nutritional goodness. I make it all the time! Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons canola oil

1 large onion

2 large cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

2 large carrots, grated

1 cup lentils

6 cups water or vegetable stock

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro or a combination

1 bay leaf

2 cups shredded cabbage

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar (can omit)

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large pot

Add chopped onion, crushed garlic, basil and carrots.  Stir fry for a few minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients.

Stir-fry for a few minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients

Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, or until lentils are mushy, stirring occasionally.

Healthy and Yummy!